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O. W. HUGHES. Tobacco-Drying Purnace.

No. 226,517. Patented April13,1880.

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dim M @M Mme M /W N.FETERS, PHOTO-UTNOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D c

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. HUGHES, OF HYGO, VIRGINIA.

TOBACCO-DRYING FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,517, dated April13, 1880.

Application filed February 24, 1880.

- the tobacco has reached a certain stage of coring and all of thejuices have been removed, which, if allowed to remain in its cells,would cause it to mold and become sour. When the tobacco has beensufficiently sweated and has reached a proper condition of dryness it isnecessary to apply a very high degree of heat. This has been appliedheretofore by building open fires directly beneath the tobacco, at whichstage both the tobacco and wood-Work of the building are in such drycondition that they may be easily ignited, and frequently both thebuilding and tobacco are entirely destroyed. A very high degree of heatthus applied to the tobacco when it is in proper condition is the onlymethod known to the art of curing tobacco and giving to it the brightyellow color so highly valued.

The apparatus hereinafter described enables the heat to be completelycontrolled at all times, and admits of using the heat both fromradiation through its hot-air chambers and by turning on the direct heatfrom the furnace Without disjoinin g or removing any of the tines fromposition.

,In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical sectional view ofthe apparatus with portions of the walls and roof of the buildinginclosing it, and Fig. 2 a horizontal section through the furnaces andlower flues.

The furnaces A A are preferably built of brick arched over and extendinginto the building a sufficient distance, the doors B B of the furnacebeing secured to them outside of the building-walls. The main base-fluesO are formed to be extensions of the furnace and extend back nearly tothe rear wall of the building, and then turn at right angles and meeteach other, a partition, 0, being formed at the point where they join topreserve for each a separate draft and flue connection. The baselinesmay be made by digging a trench and walling the sides of the same, ornot, as may be desired.

The flues O are provided with openingsD D D and valves or registers E E,operated by rods 6, extending to the outside of the building, that maybe opened or closed for the purpose hereinafter described.

The base-flues O O are connected at their rear ends, between the elbowand partition 0, with return-flues F F, preferably of metal, raisedslightly above the ground and supported by suitable sills. The frontends of the returnflues are connected with vertical flues G G, whichproject up a suitable distance in proportion to the height of thebuilding and according to the situation of the tobacco, and areconnected to back-take flues H H, passing to the rear of the building,and are both connected with a transverse escape flue or pipe, I,extending outside the building, and provided with dampers I I andwind-hoods I I. The pipe I is divided by a partition between the pointsof intersection with the tines H H in order that the flues and furnacesof each section may 1121MB entirely independent draft.

When it is desired merely to warm the buildin g sufficiently to furtherthe preliminary drying operation the valves E E may be kept closed. Whenthe tobacco has reached its proper condition in curing and is ready tobe fired and a greatly-increased heat is required the valves E E areopened and the direct heat from the furnaces is admitted into thedry-house and may be kept up with great intensity until the process iscompleted and the desired color obtained without danger of burning thetobacco and building in which it is stored.

The valves E E also serve a good purpose in shutting off the smoke fromthe dryingchamber when the fires are kindled, so as not to give thetobacco a smoky or creosote taste.

Either of the valves or heat-registers in the base-flue O (3 may beopened, or partially opened, so that the heat may be admitted fromeither furnace or into either side of the dryhouse, as may be desired. Amore intense heat may be generated in one furnace than in the other whenit is found that the tobacco hung nearest the furnace to be operated isnot 5 sufficiently dry.

The heat may thus be completely controlled and directed to any portionof the dry-house desired.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure 10 by Letters Patent 1. Ina tobacco-furnace, the combination of the base-flues G, partition 0,return-flues F,

vertical flues G, back-take flues H, and transverse flue I, divided byits partition, the whole forming two independent furnaces andflueconnections, as set forth.

2. The combination of the base-flues 0, provided with registers E, withthe return-fines F, vertical fines G, and back-take flues H, as setforth.

CHARLES W. HUGHES.

Witnesses:

R. G. SPENCER, J. E. RAYLAND.

